NAARI LEADERSHIP TEAM

In addition to its master knitters, Naari’s success relies on three leadership teams: wool, shipping and general directors. Each team consists of two co-leaders, who share responsibilities. Naari leaders have general leadership responsibilities as well as duties specific to their team. This ensures that every leader is adequately supported and every critical step in Naari’s production process is completed without fail.

Mamta Takuli

Mamta, who likes to be called Mana, is the Coordinator of the Himalayan Naari group. She is a Kumaoni woman from Haldwani. In addition to computer skills and excellent English, Mamta brings a wonderful warmth and enthusiasm to the team. She is a trained yoga teacher and provides classes to the students at Himalayan Inter College, Choukori. In addition, Mamta enjoys photography and hiking.

Geeta Mahara

Geeta’s primary responsibilities are to assist in the creation of the documentation from which all other steps in Naari’s production process are completed. Geeta receives information on the items ordered from US retailers and creates the documents that are used to determine wool purchasing, production and shipment.

Geeta Pathak

As one of the co-leaders for the shipping team, Geeta’s is responsible for the final dispatch of Naari items to the US. Geeta prepares the invoice and inventory forms which are vital for the payment of Naari artisans and the tracking of items. She also assists in checking quality check and preparing items for shipment.

Neema Dhami

Neema co-leads the shipping team, where she is responsible for conducting the quality checks. She ensures all products meet global market standards. She monitors proper product sizing in the initial knitting stages, checks midway to avoid any errors, and does a final evaluation before packing to make sure there are no mistakes on the items. Because quality is such an important part of Naari branding, this is a critical role to the success of the business.

Mamta Pant

Mamta works as one of Naari’s wool co-leaders. Working alongside Malti, she prepares and orders the wool. She assigns items to the knitters and provides the required wool, ensuring that the records reflect what each artisan is making. As an expert knitter, she attends to any wool related issues or emergencies throughout the knitting process.

Malti Gogani

Malti is not only Mamta’s wool co-leader but also her inseparable best friend. Malti is engaged in every step throughout the wool process. Her main responsibility is working with Mamta to assign knitting based on ability, time, quality and reliability. She makes sure every knitter is provided with the necessary resources to complete each item. In addition, as a master knitter, Malti is a vital part of the final blocking process, working with the shipping leaders to finalize products before the shipping.

Basanti Rawat

In Munsyari, Basanti Rawat is the local coordinator for Maati’s woolen projects. A farmer and knitter herself, she has helped lead the 50 members of the Maati collective for over 18 years now. Basanti’s work for Maati has been invaluable for the success and growth of the weavers’ economic empowerment.

Malika Virdi

Malika is the founder of Maati collective in Munsiari and a community activist who has been working in human rights and women’s rights for more than 30 years now. She is a former Sarpanch, a traditional village head, and a well known mountaineer. In 2005 she was nominated as one of the “1,000 Women for the Nobel Prize” for her inspiring work.

Dr. Kathleen Bollerud

The US based founder and director of Himalayan Naari, coordinates sales, marketing, and product development. She is a retired psychologist with a specialization in leadership development and a current trustee of the Himalayan Education Foundation. Every year she travels to India for meetings with Naari partners within the local community and Himalaya Inter College, Chaukori.